Stepping Down
by Ro-RoWeasley
Summary: When an old enemy reappears and someone is hurt, it's time for the core team to consider both their own and their children's futures. Jecker, Conby and Memily pairings.


**_[A/N: Absolutely no idea where this came from, I simply spend way too much time allowing my mind to roam wild! So this one-shot is set in approximately the year 2035 and no the core team probably would not stay that long but this is fiction and pretty much anything can happen. Names are possibly cliché but hey, I like them.]_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval or any of its characters. I only own this story and the kids!**

* * *

**STEPPING DOWN**

* * *

Becker drove as fast as he could, not bothering to abide by the Highway Code. Not that he usually did, but this was no anomaly alert. Screeching through red lights, swerving violently around slow vehicles, he drove wildly towards his home.

"Hil, I'm sure everything will be okay. Slow down, you'll get yourself and the team killed." His wife's soft but stern voice warned him in his ear.

"Jess, Nick said she was hurt." He shot back.

"I know, but medics are close behind you, she'll be okay."

Emily in the passenger seat next to him placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She's alive at least, and from what we've heard she got them out. They are all safe thanks to her."

"Yeah, daddy's little Action Girl hey?" Connor joked in the back.

Becker glared at him in the rear-view, but didn't bother shouting him down. They were almost there. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

"What I don't understand is how this happened?" Abby said worriedly. "We would have seen him come through. Jess or _someone_ would have picked it out, surely?"

Connor squeezed her hand. "We'll work it out Abs."

Becker shook his head indicating he had no idea then let out a frustrated sigh.

Ethan was back.

James and Nick had provided descriptions over the panicked phone call earlier but Jess had confirmed by visual on the CCTV as he escaped. He had returned seemingly for revenge, to finish the business he'd started all those years ago. But instead of finding Becker, or Jess, or Emily, he had instead found the team's offspring and had not given any thought before causing harm.

"They've escaped in the car, two streets away from you. Unfortunately I've lost Ethan, but I'll keep looking." Jess informed them, her usual calm voice beginning to crack.

"Who's driving?" Matt asked.

But before anyone could answer, the truck rounded another corner and was greeted by Jess's yellow Audi, which immediately pulled to the side of the road and stopped. Four young adults jumped out, three ran towards them whilst one climbed into the passenger seat. But the one Becker was looking for hadn't appeared.

Abby was out before him, racing towards the scene and hugging her eldest fiercely.

"Everyone okay?" Three of them nodded.

"Mum, Sarah's passed out. She's in the front." Nick breathed.

Becker was instantly at his daughter's side, speaking softly. "Sweetheart can you hear me?" Her head was slumped against the wheel, her straight auburn hair partly covering her face, an unmistakable trace of dark red snaking itself down her cream floral blouse.

"Hil, is she okay?" came Jess's trembling voice. "Medics are one minute away."

He automatically searched to for a pulse. "Yeah Jess but she's unconscious and not responding. Bleeding heavily from a wound on her right shoulder; gunshot wound." Becker answered weakly, removing his jacket to begin applying pressure to her injury. Jess gasped.

Jenny in the passenger seat was hysterical, trying in vain to make Sarah respond. Panicking she began to ramble. "What are going to do? That man… he shot her! What was he after? He aimed the gun at us all asking where you were but Sarah stayed in front and tried to distract him. Nick appeared behind him and tried to disarm him but he fired and-"

"Jenny, breathe. It'll be alright, yeah?" Becker soothed her; she was in shock. The blonde nodded and took a deep breath. Emily helped her out of the car before Connor caught her in a crushing hug as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Medics have arrived." Jess said shakily. Her usual calm composure had slipped, no doubt because she wasn't certain what would happen with her daughter.

"Jess, she'll be okay." Becker reassured her. But his worry was evident on his features as he and the others watched the medics carefully manoeuvre Sarah onto a gurney and place an oxygen mask on her face, all the while attempting to rouse her. She remained unresponsive; her body was going into shock from blood loss.

Becker ran his hands through his hair and began to pace back and forth for the sake of doing something.

"She'll pull through. From what I've heard, she's a lot like you. Stubborn, overly-protective and completely reckless." A smug voice said softly behind him. He stopped pacing and turned to face the speaker, a tall twenty-year-old with long curly brown hair. Charlotte Anderson had inherited the ability to keep an inexpressive face from her father, but anyone could tell her attitude from her tone.

"And she's a hero. Saved us all. That madman appeared out of nowhere and she didn't think twice before stepping in front. Who was he anyway? He seemed hell-bent on finding you."

But before he could answer Matt was at their side, putting his arm around Charlotte. Sarah was being transferred into the ambulance. "Go with her, we'll follow behind. I'll drive the kids and we'll meet you there. I think it's time for them to know." He added quietly before patting him on the back giving him a push forward.

"Jess, have the medical bay and break room prepped. You've got a lot of visitors."

"Copy that."

**. . .**

Emily volunteered to watch over the four newcomers whilst Matt, Jess, Abby and Connor talked with Lester in his office about their predicament. Becker was in the medical bay and hadn't moved from Sarah's side since they'd found her.

"It's not fair to keep them out of the loop any longer." Connor argued. "Not now they're here."

"Not now that Ethan's back." Matt agreed. "They need to know the circumstances, they're old enough to understand."

"But they're too young to be involved!" Jess countered.

"Jess, you were nineteen when you started here in case you'd forgotten." Matt shot back.

"But that was completely different!"

"The creatures we handle are way too dangerous. What if they get curious?" Abby asked.

"Abby, Sarah was shot by Ethan not attacked by a creature!" Jess cried.

"ENOUGH!" Lester shouted and the squabbling adults fell silent. "What does Captain Becker think about this?" he huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

Jess looked at her watch. "I'll go get him and you can ask him yourself."

Jess nearly sprinted to the medical bay. Sarah was only permitted one visitor at a time as she was still unconscious. Hilary had been there for just over an hour.

She walked into the room and hugged and kissed her husband. "How is she doing?" He simply nodded.

"Just fine." Doctor Carter informed her. "The surgery went well, all we're waiting for is for her to come round though that might not be for a couple of hours. Her body's exhausted from the combination of shock, blood loss and the anaesthetic. She's certainly a fighter though, how she managed to drive with that damage to her shoulder is remarkable. Her right collar bone was shattered by the impact of the bullet, the pain must have been excruciating."

"It's the adrenaline." The soldier replied, before elaborating. "All you can think about is getting your team, your loved ones, out of danger and the adrenaline overrides the pain from any injuries."

"She takes after her dad in so many ways." Jess said, flashing him a brilliant smile. "Though how they even managed to escape the house is beyond me."

"I'll go ask them. Lester wants them debriefing."

"Call in his office first, there's a little shouting match about what to do next."

He pecked her on the lips before leaving and Jess sat down next to the bed and took her daughter's hand. Now she was totally alone with her thoughts, she couldn't stop the wave of tears that finally overcame her.

It had been 24 years since they'd last seen Ethan. But from the brief glance she'd been given of him on the CCTV, he looked exactly the same give a few years. That had her puzzled.

For her and the team, it had been 24 years since the bomb incident and Ethan shooting Becker. But that had been with an EMD. Now it appeared he'd learnt his lesson and had come back with proper firearms and had shot their daughter. How long had it been for him since that last encounter?

Jess's eyes wandered over her daughter's fragile body.

Fragile was not a word usually associated with Sarah Angela Becker. Jess smiled to herself. She was so like Hil, into more of the guys' stuff than shopping and fashion, tough and strong. She did have a somewhat similar dress style to Jess, just not quite as extravagant in colour, and with certainly not as many short skirts.  
But lying in the hospital bed, with her right arm in a sling and bandages around her shoulder which extended around her chest to keep them in place, fragile was the word to use.

Despite her daughter's injury and how terrified it had made her, Jess couldn't help but feel a strong wave of pride. Sarah had put her life on the line to save the others, selflessly and without a thought about her own safety. She was totally her father's girl to the core.

She chewed over what they'd discussed in Lester's office. Matt and Connor thought it was the appropriate time to inform their children about their jobs and the risks they took on a daily basis. Jess could understand their side, as all five were definitely mature enough, but she didn't want to run the risk of them becoming involved.

She had joined the ARC at just nineteen years of age, just a year older than Sarah was now. But she had not fully understood the seriousness of what she'd gotten herself into until she'd seen a girl of a similar age to her get torn to pieces by a therocephalian before the team could get to her aid. She had witnessed many horrors she desperately did not want to subject or expose her child and her friends' children to.

But Jess had been specially selected for her skills, sought out by government scouts. What skills did their children sport which would make them valuable to the ARC?

Nick Temple was a walking encyclopedia much like his father; his knowledge of prehistoric creatures would be helpful. He was the oldest of the group, twenty-one years old, and appeared to have been adopted as the leader of their little gang. He was currently studying Natural Sciences at University College London.

His younger sister Jenny was into fashion as much as Jess was. She was Sarah's age but adored Jess, and their conversations were almost always about the latest collections in Vogue, Burberry and Elle. She was planning on taking an internship at the fashion magazine 'Company'. She also shared Jess' technical knowhow of computers, though Jess was pretty sure this was just inbred into her, being the daughter of Connor Temple.

James and Charlotte Anderson were fraternal twins and were as different as they came. James shared Abby's love for animals and helped out regularly to take care of his father's plant collection, though like Emily he could be obstinate.  
Charlotte was just like Matt with her inexpressive face but had a passion for technology, gained from her mother who'd found it as she'd gradually settled into the twenty-first century, and a talent for bossing people around. Jess grinned as she imagined Charlotte having no trouble in dealing with Lester's sarcasm everyday. The pair were also at University College London, James studying Biology and Charlotte studying Computer Science.

Now that she'd though it over, it appeared that whether they liked it or not, their children had been indirectly and accidentally trained for this line of work.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. It was Emily and behind her were Nick, Jenny, Charlotte and James.

As Jess stood up, Emily approached Doctor Carter. "Excuse me Doctor, I know you have only allowed one visitor, but if you will, these four would like to be with their friend."

The Doctor looked them over and nodded. "I will overlook this violation just this once, be careful not to crowd her and call for me as soon as she awakes." He said before smiling gently and leaving the room.

Jess made for the door. "Me and Emily will head back to the hub. Make sure you tell me or Hil when she's awake too, got it?"

"Of course we will." Nick chirped.

**. . .**

Hilary Becker looked intently at his wife as she entered the office. He knew how she would react to the team's decision and he knew she'd dislike even more being outvoted. Jess lived by schedules and extensive planning ahead; this, he knew, was not under any consideration.

They'd all tried to give their kids a normal childhood, even to the point where three of the five were at University. But now things had changed, now Ethan was back, security needed to be re-evaluated. At least, until Ethan was caught.

"So what have we missed?" Jess asked, looking around the room expectantly. From the looks on his friends' faces, Becker knew they had the same thoughts about Jess as him.

"Jess, we need to discuss the future of the ARC, the future of us and the future of the kids." Matt began.

"I know what you're going to say, and I think I agree."

That reaction stunned Becker and the team. They had expected Jess to protest as she had done before. What had brought on this change of heart?

"You are all getting on in years Jess, we think it's time to pass on the burden." Lester said, idly swinging from side to side in his chair.

"Would we be discussing this if Sarah hadn't been hurt, if Ethan hadn't returned…probably not but who knows. This has happened and subsequently we need to rethink." Matt continued.

"But it is such a huge burden." Abby sighed. "What kind of parents are we to drag our children unwillingly into this? Nick, James and Charlotte are still at University! And what about Jenny? Sarah?" Connor put his arm around her.

"I've been thinking about that." Jess replied. "As much as we may not like it, we have indirectly trained them with our skills." She turned to Abby and Connor. "Nick has your knowledge of prehistoric creatures Connor, extremely helpful with identification especially as the ADD cannot possibly keep track of every single species we encounter, plus he has natural leadership skills. And Jenny would be more than capable to handle the locking devices, dating calculators and fixing glitches with the ADD." She then turned to Matt and Emily. "Charlotte has extensive knowledge on computers and such, she'd be more than capable of handling the ADD. And James could help with menagerie as he knows a lot about animals." Finally she turned to her husband with a wide smile. "And Sarah has proved to be Hilary Becker in miniature."

Jess looked around at the team and they were all looking at her with proud smiles, Becker included.

"Well, I suppose we debrief them as soon as possible." Emily said.

Matt turned to her. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

She nodded. "It's sensible. I want the best for my children, and for Sarah, Jenny and Nick. If keeping them here and in the know protects them from Ethan then I'm not going to protest."

A loud banging at the door interrupted them. It was Jenny. "She's awake, she's awake!" she beamed before she rushed off. The team immediately followed.

**. . .**

The ADDs klaxons blared loudly and lights all around the ARC flashed red, sending the team into action.

"Anomaly located at Wembley Stadium." Charlotte informed them over the comms. "Transferring coordinates to the trucks now."

"EMDs and two locking devices are in there ready." Jenny announced. "Courtesy of moi, I love being prepared!"

"Anybody up for a kick about?" Sarah Becker joked, sprinting down the stairs shrugging on her uniform jacket. When she reached the ADD she passed out black boxes to her teammates.

"Any incursions Charlie?" Nick asked over her shoulder.

"Not as of yet, but I'll keep you posted. Back-up team, standby."

"Affirmative."

James gave his sister a peck on the cheek before the team headed out.

"Be careful!" Charlotte chirped.

From inside his office, James Lester watched the new team gather and move out. It was his last day at the ARC and in a few hours he would hand over responsibility to someone else newly appointed by the Minister. It had been a long haul, for nearly thirty years he had been in charge of the anomaly project. He had seen many good men, and women, fall in the line of duty. Only a few, such as the old team had made it through to retirement, something that filled him with pride and sadness.

He was confident the new kids could handle their jobs. He'd seen them in action and they channelled the old team's spirit somewhat perfectly, and therefore he had no worry in leaving them. They had learned from the experts.

He smirked as he remembered how he'd described the team on Becker's first day.

_"__You'll be dealing with a highly strung and temperamental team of rank amateurs who just happen to be brilliant at what they do."_

Both the new team and the old team were indeed brilliant at what they did, marvelous in fact, but in no way were they amateurs. They had too much experience for that label.

And too much respect from him and anyone who knew them, despite his many attempts at keeping his relationship to them strictly professional.

He would miss them, but time was moving on and the anomalies weren't. It was time to step down.

**. . .  
The End**


End file.
